Attorney Iván Ayala, of the Ayala Cádiz law firm, said he represents several former employees of Puerto Rico’s Department of the Family who have filed complaints and lawsuits alleging workplace harassment, discrimination and retaliation linked to the conduct of Secretary Suzanne Roig Fuertes. Speaking on Normando en la Mañana, Ayala said the cases originated in Arecibo and have spread to other regions, and described the problem as widespread across government agencies, where many workers do not report harassment for fear of losing their jobs.
He cited a recent Supreme Court decision under which an employee can go directly to mediation if the employer ignores a complaint or lacks a harassment protocol, with timelines of 15 days to begin an investigation and 30 days to complete it. In the Arecibo case, Ayala said the dispute was not partisan rivalry, since both officials belong to Governor Jenniffer González’s party, but began when Roig named another official below her who was already performing the regional chief’s functions.
Allegations include attacks on the complainant’s sexual preference under Law 100, insults calling her 'bruta' and 'mentirosa', unauthorized office entries, and her removal by security on Roig’s order, a pattern he said has repeated in Mayagüez and Aguadilla complaints.